In semiconductor manufacturing processes, photolithography techniques are commonly adopted to define structures. Typically, an integrated circuit layout is designed and outputted onto one or more photomasks. The integrated circuit layout is then transferred from the photomask(s) to a mask layer to form a mask pattern, and then from the mask pattern to a target layer. However, with the advancing miniaturization and integration requirements of semiconductor devices, including memory devices such as dynamic random access memories (DRAMs), flash memories, static random access memories (SRAMs), and ferroelectric (FE) memories, the semiconductor structures or features for such devices become finer and more miniaturized as well. Accordingly, the continual reduction in semiconductor structure and feature sizes places ever-greater demands on the techniques used to form the structures and features.
This Discussion of the Background section is for background information only. The statements in this Discussion of the Background are not an admission that the subject matter disclosed in this section constitutes a prior art to the present disclosure, and no part of this section may be used as an admission that any part of this application, including this Discussion of the Background section, constitutes prior art to the present disclosure.